Gavin Peterson's father and brother plead guilty to child abuse

SALT LAKE CITY — The father and brother of a boy who died of starvation, Gavin Peterson, have pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges relating to his death. Gavin's case shook his community after his death, opening multiple conversations around child safety and the role of the Division of Child and Family Services in protecting children. On Thursday, the guilty pleas entered by Gavin's father and brother were a major development.

Shane Peterson

In the Second District Court, Shane Peterson, 46, pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse homicide, three second-degree felony charges of aggravated child abuse, and third-degree felony of endangerment of a child. As part of a plea deal, Shane Peterson’s homicide charge won’t be upgraded to murder, meaning that prosecutors will not be seeking the death penalty, though they did request that his sentence run consecutively. Shane Peterson's plea included an additional charge of aggravated child abuse for the abuse of Mayloni Peterson, his daughter. “I have final say in terms of whether these or not these run concurrent or consecutive and how the sentences are imposed,” Judge Camile L. Neider said. “Otherwise, I will accept the plea negotiation.” The judge also encouraged Shane Peterson to cooperate with a pre-sentence investigation report while acknowledging “it’s a given, the fact that you’re going to go to prison.” Neider said she would rely on the amended information in the charging documents for a factual basis, after Shane Peterson confirmed it was true. Shane Peterson’s sentencing is scheduled for May 6 at 4 p.m.

Tyler Peterson

Gavin's brother, Tyler Peterson, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree child abuse homicide, two second-degree felony charges of aggravated child abuse, and second-degree felony obstruction of justice. “The state further agrees that the charges may run concurrently when sentencing is officially announced,” Defense Attorney Ryan Bushell said, adding that Tyler Peterson may be required to “cooperate and provide truthful and honest testimony during a trial or a hearing,” presumably during Nichole Scott’s court proceedings — Shane Peterson's girlfriend, who is also accused of abusing Gavin. “As mentioned, the state agrees to allow these pleas of guilty to be … guilty with a mental condition,” Bushell read from the plea agreement. In Tyler’s case, psychological evaluations played a mitigating role. Doctors determined the 22-year-old suffers from autism spectrum disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and “other specified personality disorders with avoidant and dependent features.” Due to these mental conditions, the defense argued Tyler Peterson’s sentencing could be postponed until “such time as an evaluation is completed and a recommended treatment plan is provided to the court.” Bushell said the evaluation and treatment plan could be done within the next thirty days but would be facilitated if Tyler Peterson was released from jail to the custody of his biological mother, Melanie Peterson. “We’ve spoken with the mother and (sister,) Mayloni. They both agreed that yes, they would like him to come and stay with them in their home,” a court representative said. The judge agreed to release Tyler to the custody of his mother, Melanie Peterson. However, she issued a pretrial protective order, which prohibits Tyler Peterson from aggressive behavior or domestic violence, and he has to check in with pre-trial services staff at the Weber County jail twice a week. “They want you to come and be with them but it is under some really strict terms and conditions,” Neider said to Tyler Peterson, indicating the release could happen in the next day. The judge is also requiring that Tyler Peterson cooperate with creating a pre-sentencing report, though she does not expect him to be sentenced in the next 45 days. Tyler Peterson is expected back in court on April 24 at 2 p.m. for a review of his treatment assessment.

Gavin's death

On July 9, 2024, Weber County first responders were called to Shane Peterson's West Haven home after a report that his 12-year-old boy, Gavin, was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor. https://ksltv.com/local-news/dcfs-breaks-silence-on-its-involvement-in-child-abuse-case-after-death-of-gavin-peterson/691672/   According to court documents, first responders found Gavin in his father's home and immediately took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The amended charging information for Shane Peterson said an examination of Gavin's body "showed malnutrition to the point the child’s internal organs had shut down completely. The child’s body was visibly emaciated." In the days following Gavin's death, Shane Peterson and Tyler Peterson were arrested on suspicion they had been abusing him. Shane Peterson's wife, Nichole Scott, 50, was also arrested in the same investigation. Scott had a court hearing on March 7, and an in-person status conference was scheduled for March 27. This article was updated with further reporting after its initial publication.

Contributing: Mary Culbertson, KSL TV

Child abuse resources:

• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with Children

Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
• The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.

CSAM Prevention Resources and Victim Recovery: 

• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children provides support to children who are victims of child sexual exploitation through emotional peer support for families, content removal of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and help getting connected to therapists and attorneys. The NCMEC also provides a CyberTipline where CSAM can be reported. Visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources for more information. 
• The Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force hosts a hub of resources for parents and offers local help to cases involving child sexual exploitation. 
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) provides a guide of safety measures to take in order to prevent children from being targeted in CSAM cases. 
• Thorn nonprofit organization creates products and programs that combat child sexual abuse at scale. It provides resources for families to help them identify the possible ways children can be exploited online, giving them proper terminology and statistics to keep them educated. For more information, visit https://www.thorn.org/research/child-sexual-abuse-material-csam/ 
• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

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